The Australian-trained butler is in strong demand all over the world, and butlering is a great career move for people-oriented chefs.

Brittanica.com defines a butler as “a chief male servant of a household, who supervises other employees, receives guests, directs the serving of meals, and performs various personal services”.

One of the most famous fictional butlers, is Reginald Jeeves in the short stories and novels of P. G. Wodehouse.  Jeeves, as a “gentleman’s personal gentleman” or valet, is rather more than a mere butler. He is firmly in control of his rich and foppish young employer’s life. When his principal gets into an unwanted social obligation, legal trouble, or engagement to marry, Jeeves invariably comes up with a subtle plan to save him, often without his principal’s knowledge.

Jeeves frequently displays mastery over a vast range of subjects, from philosophy through an encyclopedic knowledge of poetry, science, history, psychology, geography, politics, and literature. He is also a ‘bit of a whiz’ in all matters pertaining to gambling, car maintenance, etiquette and women.

‘Jeeves’ is now a generic term for an indispensable person in references such as the Oxford English Dictionary, and became the name of a British search engine ‘Ask Jeeves’ (www.ask.com).

So should Australian butlers try to live up to Jeeves’ reputation? BISTRO spoke with Pamela Spruce, chief executive of Australian Butler Services and the principal of Australian Butler School (www.australianbutlers.com).

“The modern butler is far from being a quaint relic of the aristocratic England of a century ago,” Spruce says.  “The thoroughly modern breed of butlers – especially Australian butlers – is increasingly in demand.”

For a start, butlering is no longer an exclusively male profession but is open to both males and females. The butler is in charge of everything, from the household budget to the everyday running of the household. They prepare the guest rooms and arrange and plan special dinners and receptions given by their employers. Some even become the personal assistant to the people they work for, taking care of all  their secretarial needs.

“It is fairly common for individuals with a cheffing background or qualification to progress their career into butlering or household management,” she says.   “We’ve had many students over the years who have completed our butler-training course following a successful career as a chef.”

A strong factor in their favour is that chefs generally are well organised, have experience in budgeting, purchasing and inventories, are detail oriented and conscious of workplace safety.

BISTRO asked two chefs who have made the change to butler – Darryl Attiwell and Nathan Van de Belt – about life as a butler.

Darryl Attiwell

“I love my new career. This role is expanding all the time. With diversity come a lot of responsibilities. My days are never the same,” says Darryl.  “My role includes managing lifestyle aspects: clothing, personal needs, property etc.” He still does internal catering, and his cheffing skills let him get the best occasions, while he outsources catering for the bigger events.

What are the most important qualities for a butler?

Time management. Multiple professional skills  – Australian butlers are dynamic professionals who know a lot  and can do the lot: cooking; estate management; PA; management of boats/jets etc.

Most important: a butler has to know how to conduct himself in a professional manner. Being professional includes knowing how to maintain confidentiality. A butler cannot discuss any aspect of their job with their friends or other butlers. As the services they provide  relate to very personal aspects of their principal’s life, butlers must keep their lips tightly closed at all times.

Do you ever feel lonely sometimes?

“This job is not everyone’s cup of tea. But it’s given me  the ability to travel within Australia and overseas, and to meet very interesting people every day. The diversity of the role means I learn new things all the time.

“As you work with one principal and you’re good at what you’re doing, you gain more experience and more trust. With trust comes more and more responsibilities and different tasks… The sky’s the limit!”

How would a chef get a job as a butler?

“There is no shortage of jobs for the right individual in Australia or overseas. Talk to Australian Butler School – they have great jobs. Look at the jobs in the newsletters of International Guild of Professional Butlers. There are big opportunities for the right person. “If you work for a principal who has multiple estates in different countries, boats, jets etc (which is common) – this would be an interesting job.”

Nathan Van de Belt

Nathan started his chef’s career washing dishes in a very small restaurant in Queensland.  Very soon he became interested in cooking, so in 1988 he took an apprenticeship in the Hyatt Coolum kitchen.

When we asked Nathan does he still like to cook, his answer was: “I love it!”

Working as a chef at the British High Commission, Nathan was presenting fine dinners for groups from 20 to 2000 people, making everything from scratch. He says he ‘fell into’ butlering. When one of the butlers at the British High Commission left and another one did not work out, Nathan found himself taking all the responsibilities on his shoulders. He enjoyed the variety of the role, so he decided to polish up his skills at the Australian Butler School.

“Being able to cook professionally is a big advantage. I cook for all small functions and when I hire other chefs to cook for bigger events, I can make absolutely sure that the event runs smoothly and the food is up to the highest standard.

“I have been working for a few people as a butler. At first they ask me to cook specific meals etc, then when they realise I really know cooking, they leave everything in the kitchen up to me. Let’s say I’m asked to do a four-course dinner for six. I will go to the markets, look for the best and freshest produce on the day. No dinner is the same.”

There are unexpected benefits of not being in the commercial hospitality world, he says.

“Being a non-commercial fine dining chef has a lot of pluses. I have a lot of friends in hospitality; all of them have to deal with commercial realities of this world: profit margins, labour costs etc. The cost of my dishes often is 50% produce and 50% labour. I do have value factor in mind, but I am also able to cook very amazing dishes.”

What makes this job so attractive to you?

“I have variety everyday. There are a lot of different things to look after: the property, boat, car etc. My days are never same.”

Do you meet a lot of interesting and powerful people?

“Yes, of course. But honestly speaking, I like to take care of everyone. Big names do not faze me; I like to make sure everyone is properly looked after. It is different for different people. I moved back to Queensland, even the money here is lower than I can get elsewhere in Australia or overseas, but I really enjoy the balance I have now between my work and my lifestyle.  It’s a matter of personal choice and ambitions. Here in Queensland, for example, I know about a dozen big names who would employ  a chef/steward/butler – that sounds like a good job for me.”

What are the qualities a butler needs?

“You have to really love taking care of people. It brings me a great deal of satisfaction to provide this personalised service. I know how my employers like things to be done; I like to get all these little details right for them. You have to be a people person to be a good butler, and you have to be prepared to work very hard.”

Hard-working mother-of-two Morgan Ross helps feed an army during her workaday life but when she goes home, it’s a rarity if she even picks up a pot or pan in the kitchen.

Morgan, or to use her correct title – Sergeant Ross – has been the chef in the Australian Army Catering Corps for almost thirteen years and is loving life based at The Daly Mess Precinct, Lavarack Barracks in tropical Townsville. The BISTRO team interviewed the bubbly thirty-four-year-old to glean another insight into a chef’s life. We learned that the efficiency of the Australian Army Catering Corps has a direct influence on the morale and well-being of our combat soldiers.

Feeding an army is always going to toss up a myriad of logistical challenges for those involved in the catering sector. Sourcing produce isn’t always easy while preparing food in difficult climates and on rugged terrains, and can cause major limitations. Typically, those challenges are met head-on and our defence force members are fed superbly by a dedicated crew of chefs and cooks who are as vital to the army as those who fight on the front line. Before we get to know Sgt. Morgan Ross a little better, it might be of benefit to spell out the various ‘stations’ that exist within our Army kitchens.

Army chefs and cooks are trained to provide specialist catering support in every theatre of operations, ranging from formal dinners to catering for 500 elite troops while stationed overseas. Catering soldiers prepare, cook and serve meals in both field kitchens and Army establishments, to meet the dietary needs of the soldiers. Extremely high standards are essential here and members of the Corps take a great deal of pride in the hygienic preparation of nutritious and appetising meals. Cooks may advance through the ranks to positions of responsibility, such as shift, kitchen and catering supervisors. The catering supervisors’ main job functions at this level include menu planning, ordering and stock control of food, rostering staff, conducting on-the-job training and workplace assessment, and providing technical catering advice. Full-time Army cooks are required to prepare complete meals comprising soups, entrees, main courses, sweets, cakes, pastry and yeast products. The preparation of all types of meals is predominantly bulk cookery in a commercial kitchen and field environment. Army Reserve cooks prepare meals in a predominately field environment.

Before joining the Australian Army Catering Corps, Morgan helped her parents run a mixed business in a tourist town in central Victoria. She worked a second job as a cook’s assistant and waitress in a nearby café and it wasn’t long before she felt that the catering industry was her calling. She found that the training required was much the same as that experienced by apprentice chefs in civilian life.

“Our intakes go to TAFE and learn all aspects of the catering trade,” she said, “Junior chefs are grade-tested much the same as apprentice chefs in the civilian workplace. Certificates are civilian accredited so, if and when we decide to discharge from the Australian Defence Force, we are qualified to take on roles in the private sector. These TAFE courses have a specific focus for Army cooks. Part of this is getting a good grasp and understanding of nutritional requirements. We follow the healthy food pyramid, as it is policy to provide this to our highly-active service personnel. I’d say the main difference between cooking in the Army as opposed to the normal foodservice industry, is that Army, catering provides a service for a wide range of defence personnel who need strict diets and menus that cover their nutritional needs. Obviously, we are catering for highly-active people in different environments, whether in the field, overseas on deployment, or within the barracks.”

Morgan, deployed to East Timor in the early 2000s, has had extensive experience in just about all aspects of Army catering. The highest number of soldiers she catered for at one time was 1,500 at one sitting. “That was when I was a junior chef working at my first posting. It was at Kapooka (near the NSW city of Wagga) where all civilians go for their initial training after enlistment. It was a very busy place for the army chefs back then but today, the kitchens are run by a civilian company.”

BISTRO magazine wondered how difficult it was to source and ultimately purchase the necessary produce. Would Army chefs go to the local markets, and how did they buy their meat?

“The produce on deployments is sometimes of better quality than some produce we get in Australia,” she replied. “The reason being is that we sometimes get Australian imports and meats, and produce of foreign countries, that turns out to be better quality than that available within the country. However, there are also times when produce is of very limited quality, it just depends on what is available at the time.

“We do a broad range of food preparation and service. There is bulk cookery in the bigger kitchens catering for large numbers. We also have an up-market restaurant-style/fine dining kitchen called a small mess which fires up for functions, formal dinners, buffets, top tables, morning and afternoon teas and so on. When preparing for a formal dinner, the kitchen presents a menu to the Dining President. This consists of entrees,  mains and dessert. We usually present this one week prior to the function. The Dining President in collaboration with the dining party, make changes if necessary. Usually, there are two alternate plates for entrée and mains. We usually get these recipes from the latest food magazines!

“The menus we provide are much the same as any menu you’d find in a commercial kitchen. However, we try to change the menu every day depending on the rations we receive. Our diners get a great variety of food selection, thanks largely to the imagination of the shift manager.

“We do cater for special occasions, such as formal dinners, functions, buffets, top tables, morning and afternoon teas. You would be surprised at the quality and professionalism displayed by our Army chefs. The standard we provide to our senior members is outstanding.”

BISTRO quizzed Sgt. Ross on that all-important subject: budget.

“There is a set cost per head per day and it is important that we operate within this budget,” she said. “The catering sector is forever mindful of budget, forever careful not to overspend. All rations and food is accountable on all levels. However, I will add that all of our soldiers are catered for and no one goes hungry!”

We wondered how Army chefs catered for soldiers serving on the
front line.

“These guys and girls receive meals in an individual con foil hot box, or in a combat ration pack, packaged up in a semi-sterol environment,” she continued. “We, as catering personnel, do not enter the front line, that is not our role. Our job, in this respect, is to provide a service to those on the front line. The ration packs contain dry food, such as rice, that just requires  water added. Hydrorations are supplied by outside suppliers that specialise in this food area. The packs have a very high kilojoule value.”

Sgt. Ross explained the pecking order and rankings to be found in military kitchens.

“Kitchen roles within a military environment are much the same as those found in civilian establishments,” she said. “However, we have Caterers as our head chefs, Sergeants as kitchen supervisors, Corporals as shift managers, Privates as apprentice chefs depending on the year they are completing. An average military kitchen is usually combined with Army chefs from different units, who work together in one large kitchen called an OR’s Mess. There are approximately four to eight rostered chefs feeding around 300 diners. Two chefs would usually run a small cafe/fine dining kitchen that is called an Officers’ or Sergeants’ Mess. These are run by either a Sergeant or Corporal supervisor.

“I am often asked about the shifts available for Army chefs. Basically, we have two. Day shift is from 7am-4pm and there is also a twelve- hour shift where you operate two days on, two days off.”

Winding up our interview, we asked Sgt. Ross how long she planned to live the army life?

“I plan to stay in the Army until I get sick of it, however that won’t be any time soon,” she replied. “I love the military — the comraderie, the challenges, the variety it gives, and last but not least, the mateship it provides.

“My husband Jason is also in the military. We have two children, Lachlan (five) and Shaunee (three). It’s fair to say that I run a very tight ship at home, as we are a very active family, always on the go. Jason and I are into fitness in a big way and we encourage the kids to participate with us.

“We live away from the barracks in Townsville and really love it here. The town is very family-oriented.  I will be very sad the day when we are transferred from here to another location within Australia.”

Meet Jonathon Curtis, a young Australian chef working in Moscow. BISTRO caught up with Jonathon for a cup of coffee.

Jonathan tell us little bit about yourself…

I’ve been passionate about food from a young age and after attending school in France, I was sure food was what I wanted to do. I started working in restaurants on weekends and after school. The day after my last exams I started my apprenticeship at Gastronomy Catering before moving to Aqua Dining, Milsons Point where I worked under Jeff Turnbull for three years. I have also worked at Wildfire, Ocean Room, Bills Woollahra and under Alain Pegouret in Paris at the Michelin Star restaurant Le Laurent. I now work as sous-chef at Nedalny Vostok with Australian chef Glen Ballis.

Can you describe the restaurant?

Nedalny Vostok is a modern, upmarket Pan Asian restaurant in the centre of Moscow, specialising in fresh seafood from around the world. The name “Nedalny Vostok” means “Not so far East”, a play on the Russian term for its East-Asian regions ,“Dalnii Vostok” or “very far away East”.

We have a small bar and chill-out area next to the restaurant, where DJs play nightly. The restaurant was outfitted by International design group Super Potato, and is very modern . It really buzzes. A salt water aquarium houses live Western Australian crayfish, Canadian lobsters and Kamchatka crabs for guests to choose from.

The kitchen is run more as a small hotel than a restaurant and is split over two levels, with an open kitchen in the centre of the restaurant and a production kitchen upstairs with separate butchery, cold salad, hot entree and pastry sections. There are 30 cooks rostered on every shift in the main kitchen and six in pastry.

How did you get this job?

By word of mouth. The Head Chef is Glen Ballis, an Australian, who has been cooking and travelling around the world for 25 years. In the last 10 years  he’s  worked in restaurants in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore. When he started a new project in Moscow and was looking for a sous-chef, someone back in Australia recommended me.

How would you compare restaurant standards in Moscow to Sydney or Melbourne?

Moscow is a very wealthy city with a fast growing restaurant scene. Standards among the elite restaurants are very high. Competition is strong. The city of Moscow never sleeps and there are always new restaurants opening.

Is the language a problem for you in your job?

The language was a bit of a struggle at first. However, many Russian staff speak basic English, and some are fluent. Everyone’s happy to help out with translating, and each day I learn a few new words or phrases that help me get by. Outside of work is a different matter, and simple everyday things that we take for granted become a little harder, but this adds to the adventure of living and working abroad!

Tell us about the fresh produce in Moscow.

Moscow has a vast range of fresh local produce, as well as a huge choice of fresh products from around the world. We use a lot of produce flown in from Australia. All meats are Australian, delivered fresh from NSW, as are most of our seafood, including whole barramundi, snapper, live Western Australian crays and Tasmanian oysters. We fly live lobsters in from Canada

Many other fresh seafood products come from France including dorado, turbot, Dover sole, live Pearl Blanch and Gillardo oyster. All of our bluefin tuna comes fresh from Japan as well as the fresh wasabi, which is grated at the table.

Are the supply systems similar to home?

Supply systems are very similar. The main difference is availability, and some ingredients can take a few days to be delivered. We employ drivers who go to the markets each morning to search for the freshest vegetables. From time to time we join them on these morning runs to look at new produce for menu changes, so we always know what seasonal produce is available in Moscow.

What sort of food do Russians like to eat?

Russians love to eat new and exciting dishes from around the world. They demand fresh products and are happy to splash out and indulge. Most restaurants in Moscow have a sushi bar, always very popular among the Muscovites.  Our tables are filled with platters of grilled whole fish, fresh oysters and whole Kamchatka crabs from the aquarium.

We also have some traditional Russian dishes on the menu, including pirogki, pelmeni and kashas, and of course Borsch, which are all popular.

How does the cost of eating at fine dining restaurants in Moscow compare to Sydney?

Moscow is one of the most expensive cities in the world and buying fresh produce from around the world is costly. An average meal in a fine dining restaurant in Moscow starts at $US 300 per person.

Wine – what do you stock and where does it come from?

We have a very experienced sommelier and a comprehensive wine list. We stock a large range of red and white wines from around the world including Australia, France, Italy, Argentina, South Africa, Germany, Chile, New Zealand, and the USA.

Describe any bizarre experiences at the restaurant.

Not so much bizarre as fun experiences. It’s always enjoyable looking around at all the famous Russian and international celebrities such as Anna Kornakova and Paris Hilton. We also do outside catering for celebrities and cooking for the President. I have cooked for President Medevev at his house, and have done major banquets, including ‘The Love Ball’ which was held in an ice palace built for the occasion.

Does the restaurant run any training programs?

We have a large team of young chefs who are very eager to learn new cooking techniques. We hold food promotions in the restaurant with celebrity chefs from other countries, including Mexico, Malaysia and Singapore. We’ve done training programs in the past, and often have people ask to come in for a week as individuals. We also do master classes offsite, and cooking at trade expos for international companies including Meat and Livestock Australia.

Describe your food promotions with celebrity chefs.

The restaurant’s latest promotion was for Mexican month in Moscow. The celebrity chef was Martha Ortiz Chapa from the Eagle and the Sun restaurant in Mexico. The chef sends some menu ideas, and we choose seven or eight dishes as well as desserts. The recipes are sent over and what produce we can’t source locally, the chef brings.

The chef arrives a day or two before the promotion and briefs the allocated sous-chef, and the food is prepared under the chef’s guidance. Once all dishes are completed, they are photographed, and the sous-chef starts teaching them to the staff. We start the promotion on a Thursday evening, and on Friday we hold a gala dinner to promote the food to the press and our sponsors.

We also do in-house promotions such as our October tuna promotion. A special tuna menu is offered in addition to our normal menu. We find a sponsor and bring a whole bluefin tuna from Japan. The press and sponsors are invited to the restaurant and the 1.2 tonne fish is carried into the dining room and filleted in front of the guests and served to them.

Has the current economic situation affected Nedalny Vostok?

Not really. It is busy from Monday to Sunday and customers do not spend less. Some people , who never spent much anyway, have stopped coming, but being seen in places like Nedalny Vostok  is a status statement and no one counts roubles for this.

Where do you go to have a drink after work or a meal with friends?

Moscow is not short of small bars and cafes which operate 24 hours a day, and living in the centre, there are many on my way home and around the metro station. Occasionally we get the whole kitchen together and go out for a vodka night, usually in the American bar, or we find a karaoke bar and have a good time together. When I eat out with friends, we’ll go to a small restaurant or bar, and afterwards to one of Moscow’s many night-clubs.

Where do you live in Moscow?

The  accommodation is part of my package, so I don’t pay rent.  The studio in the very centre of the city, station Majakovskaja. (In Moscow the districts are often called by the name of the nearest Metro Station). It would cost around $US4,000 per month. Depending on the weather, it’s a 10-20 minute walk to the restaurant.  Ten minutes in summer, 15 in winter and 20 minutes if the road’s covered with ice!

What else do you do besides cooking?

Moscow has an enormous amount of attractions – museums, galleries, the Kremlin and the tomb of Lenin, where you can see his mummified body behind glass. An English cinema shows all the new releases with Russian subtitles. There are lots of winter sports around town and some are free. We go ice skating in the parks, or skiing just outside Moscow. During White Nights, when the sun doesn’t set until 10pm, I take the overnight train to St Petersburg for the weekend to visit friends’ dachas and relax in the “bunya” (Russian for sauna), a great way to relieve stress after a long week at work. Saturday nights are usually dinner and clubbing with friends.

What do you think about Russian people?

There is common misconception that Russians are rude, but people say that about the French too, and having lived in both countries, I don’t agree. I think the Russians are great people; they work hard and really look after us.

Did you get culture shock?

No, there was no a great culture shock in Moscow.  A lot of expats. live here and the city has great wealth. Moscow is similar to Sydney or Melbourne but with more history. Russians say Moscow is not actually Russia, but an international city with a different lifestyle. I did find St. Petersburg a bit different. It is such an amazing city with the most beautiful gardens, fantastic architecture, yet the streets were full of beggars.

What do you like the most?

The people and the culture. I grew up in Sydney and I still love Sydney. I have lots of family and friends back home whom I miss, but here every minute of every day is a new adventure! I suppose it’s the same in any new country and the expat. life. It’s not for a lot of people but I enjoy it.

What don’t you like?

There is nothing I’m uncomfortable with in Moscow. It can have its downside – like the -20 degree winter days and no blue sky or sunshine for a month! There are no beaches, which means no surfing.  Walking home at night alone can be uncomfortable, but all big cities have the danger factor and you have to be on guard whereever you travel.

What would you recommend  an Australian to see in Moscow?

Wow, there are so many things to see and do; it all depends on what you’re interested in. There are the major attractions such as the Kremlin and Red Square, even the GUM department store. There are very beautiful Metro stations with marble walls, mosaic ceilings and chandeliers. There are massive galleries and museums, fantastic churches, heaps to see and do. St. Petersburg is also a must see, especially the Peterhof Gardens.

The best thing is to join a tour group, especially if you don’t speak Russian, as everything is done for you. My parents did an 11 day cruise from St Petersburg to Moscow and they saw a lot more of Moscow than I have in a year!

Daniel Fountain started in the trade as a kitchen hand – or, as he says, “a dish pig, as us chefs call them”. He adds: “That’s where most good chefs start.” This statement couldn’t be any truer in his case. After 20-plus years in the biz, he now has the prestigious title of executive chef for the J&J O’Brien hoteliers group.
J&J O’Brien owns a number of stunning bars, restaurants and venues in Sydney, including The Belvedere Hotel, Jordons Seafood Restaurant, The Watershed Hotel, and the luxe Blue Diamond Charters (the latter being a stylish, 62-foot cruiser, available for exclusive charters including breakfast, lunch and dinner cruises).
Last year, Fountain was named the AHA National Chef of the Year for his former role as head chef at Darling Harbour’s Watershed Hotel (now, he manages no less than seven venues for J&J O’Brien).
It’s all a long way from his start in the trade, training at TAFE NSW’s Sydney Institute East Sydney College and undertaking an apprenticeship with Black Knight Catering.
Fountain has been the group executive chef at J&J O’Brien for more than a year now and has also previously worked for the ANA Hotel Sydney and The Grace Hotel.
BISTRO spoke to him about his passion for food.
Please tell us about yourself.
I am a very hard, dedicated worker, enjoy many sporting activities, love my wine – which is why I love cooking! – and, I have to say, I love to entertain, at home or at work. I have been in the business for over 22 years.
You’re managing a few different venues. What are the challenges you have to face doing this job?
Actually, I manage seven properties, but I’m just acting on six. Time – I wish I had more time everyday! I need another day to get the work done. Every day is a new challenge – just to make sure each kitchen runs smoothly and to have the right staff is the hardest part. But, overall, each venue is so different; it’s the thrill to get them right. The adrenalin rush and the thrill of making the business run right is what keeps me going.
What dishes, in your opinion, are a ‘must’ on the pub menu, and why?
People love comfort food. That’s why it’s called comfort food – it makes the customer happy to eat it. Every venue is different, so it’s hard to keep up with trends and with people’s likes, loves, hates and dislikes. I hate serving some comfort food, but if it makes people happy, then that’s what we do!
How does the bar/pub menu differ from regular restaurant?
Well, I would have to differ on that question. I am trying hard to make pub food as good as restaurant food, but all my fellow chefs – no matter where they work – are always trying to excel to make their style of food better than the next. That’s how the trends are created.
You are looking after The Watershed Hotel in waterfront Darling Harbour and the Marlborough Hotel in artsy Newtown – very different venues in terms of location and clientele. How does this manifest on the menu?
You have to create a menu with what the customer wants and how it interacts within the area. The Watershed is very tourist-driven, while the Marlborough attracts a very local or young trade.
In your opinion, what are the common mistakes chefs make when designing a menu?
They don’t research their clientele or ask questions. Some chefs think they know it all. Myself? I am always learning and will never say I am the best chef – no one is. All chefs are good at certain things.
How often do you review the dishes on the menu?
Every day. You have to do it or you fall behind and risk the chance of losing customers.
What is the process of putting a new dish on the menu?
Talking to the whole kitchen brigade – I involve the whole team: managers, chefs, apprentices and kitchen hands. Someone will have an idea to make something better. Then, we rough draft, cost it, practice the dish until we are satisfied, and then serve it to the customer.
How do you keep food consistent across five different kitchens?
It is very hard and is a consistent nightmare but, at the end of the day, it gets done. It’s like a revolving door – each day brings a new problem to solve.
What was the last decision or change you made, where you said to yourself “well done, Daniel”?
My intuition in my kitchens is to make a family attitude amongst my team and also to make them feel wanted – they work better. Better staff morale is important. So, I would say that if my staff is happy with what they do, I am happy, and then, that keeps the boss happy.
How do you keep your skills current?
Research, talk to customers, and talk to my staff, because a lot of them are from (diverse) back grounds.
Most memorable meal last year, and why?
I was on a trip away and I love to fish. I caught a lovely bream that was about 1.2kg, so I cleaned it up and pan-fried it with some white wine, herbs and seasoning. The meat was so delicate, sweet and tasty… Oh, bugger it! Any food I eat is good ‘cause most of the time I cook it! (Yes, it’s true – a chef that cooks at home. I love it!)

BISTRO, May 2010